Suspect In Alleged N. Virginia Mortgage Scam Nabbed In Turkey; Lender Losses Estimated At $50M; Racket Used Rent-To-Own "Lure" To Reel In Naive Buyers

In Loudon County, Virginia, the Loudoun Independent reports:

• Former Ashburn real estate agent Diane Atari was apprehended in Turkey on Oct. 14, ending a global search after she fled the country in July following a 12-count indictment against her. Atari was detained after local officials contacted INTERPOL for assistance. She is in a Turkish prison awaiting extradition. Authorities had previously believed she was in Jordan, where her ex-husband has family.

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• Atari, 42, is accused of fraudulently fixing clients’ credit and inflating their income on financial records – enabling them to be approved for higher credit so these clients could buy homes they could not otherwise afford. She was indicted on ten counts of using false statements to obtain credit, one count of money laundering and one count of racketeering on July 13.

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• The total loss on the fraudulently obtained mortgages is estimated to be more than $50 million, said [public information officer for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Kraig] Troxell. The long-term effect is going to be huge, according to investigators. Atari, owner and operator of ACR Consulting Company and Atari Management Company, both located in Loudoun County, offered “rent-to-own” services for customers looking to become homeowners. These customers were generally unable to qualify for mortgages due to bad credit or low income. Atari allegedly signed agreements with these mortgage victims with the understanding that the company would try to fix the victims’ credit.

For more, see Real Estate Agent Fled Country Following Indictments; Apprehended in Turkey. rent to own lease purchase option scams yellowstone